here 59 jpl they've gone 13 for 18. that's a 7: -- .720 batting average in the red planet league. even so this time the nerves are racheted higher along with the stakes. >> facing budget pressure from the white house, nasa has reduced funding for mars missions and pulled out of plans to partner with the european space agency to stage an elaborate series of missions to mars to bring a rock sample back to earth. much to the dismay of the mars science community. jim bell is president of the planetary society and also on the spirit opportunity and curiosity imaging teams. >> it's frustrating to try and understand why the administration or congress would want to stop what so many americans are incredibly proud of and has been so successful. >> one of their big apply loos is democratic congressman adam shift who represents the california district that is home to the jet propulsion lab. >> if we step back from mars now at a time when we are tantalizingly close to finding the building blocks of life on mars, it may be decades before we go back. >> facing the bleak funding outlook, nasa ha